“That was one of Egil’s jokes,” Lasgol said, “because he’s a scholar too, and one day he’ll be an erudite.”
“It certainly was,” Nilsa said, laughing.
“He’s always had a particular sense of humor.”
“Everything about Egil is particular,” Nilsa said, and giggled again.
“Very true.”
“I’ll go on,” she said: “On the other hand, the first disagreements between Veenerten and the Master Rangers have already made their appearance. It seems that they don’t share his ideas for improvement, especially Eyra and Esben, with whom he’s had several meetings which have not, shall we say, gone too well. Esben’s shouts could be heard from the nearby peaks. Eyra, who rarely gets angry, was beside herself with Veenerten’s new impositions. Ivana and Haakon, however, haven’t taken it so badly.”
“How strange …” Lasgol’s expression was ironic.
“Yeah, I thought the same.”
“Those two aren’t altogether trustworthy, I’m more and more convinced of that.”
“That’s a lot to say. It’s one thing if you don’t like them, and another to think they’re plotting something. There’s a gap between suspicion and fact.”
“Well, okay, I can’t prove it, but Haakon’s surely planning something, and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Ivana were in it with him.”
“That’s just a theory,” Nilsa said. “The fact that Haakon doesn’t like you and you don’t like him doesn’t make him a suspect. And anyway, suspected of what?”
Lasgol folded his arms and frowned. “Of everything.”
“Can you be a bit more specific? It’s all a bit general.”
“Well … of … of Dolbarar’s mysterious illness, for one thing, and … and the Dark Rangers, for another.”
Nilsa was thoughtful. “We can’t rule out anybody at this moment as far as those two fishy affairs are concerned, but I doubt very much whether Haakon or Ivana are involved.”
“Well, I think they are. The last time I was at the Camp I was questioned as if I were a criminal, and they looked daggers at me. Haakon in particular, but both of them did.”
“Couldn’t it have been because you gave them some vague answers?”
Lasgol wrinkled his nose. “I tell you, the way they treated me wasn’t entirely normal. It gave me the shivers. I’m used to not being treated with love, but this was different. Esben and Eyra, on the other hand, treated me as well as usual. I don’t think it was my imagination, and nor do I think it was just chance that they asked for so many explanations and that they came pretty close to being rude, Haakon in particular.”
“Well, Ivana’s always been very cold with everybody, and Haakon and you – well, you know … it could be just that.”
“Something tells me there was something else behind all that, but obviously it’s only a hunch.”
“And hunches are often wrong.”
“That’s very true, I’m not going to deny it. I’m just telling you so you keep it in mind.”
She winked. “Okay, I’ll do that.”
“Go on reading, to find out what else Egil has to say.” Lasgol sighed in anticipation.
Nilsa nodded. “In addition, it looks as though the new leader of the Camp is a bit of a control freak. He calls it paying attention to detail. He wants to be on top of everything, to know it all, and for the four Master Rangers to request his direct approval before they bring in any new ideas or make any decision. That hasn’t gone down very well. Dolbarar is a lot more open to new ideas, and he’s always encouraged his four Master Rangers to feel free to act and make decisions in their own fields as they see fit. He trusted them. From what I’ve been able to see of Veenerten, I have the feeling he’s the complete opposite. In fact, I’m beginning to think he doesn’t even trust his own shadow. I help him daily, and he always asks me a thousand questions. At first I thought it was because there were things he didn’t know. Now I’m beginning to realize he’s really making sure I do everything the way he wants it. My first impressions of him are that we’re faced with someone who’s very intelligent, but equally distrustful, if not more so, and with a tendency to need to know absolutely everything and to have everything under his own strict control. I don’t know whether this is because of some quirk in his personality or whether he doesn’t trust any of us, which I find rather strange. He might suspect me personally for being the person I am, but not the four Master Rangers, because they’ve spent years serving Dolbarar faithfully. I’m beginning to think it’s more of a character trait.”
“So, in other words, he doesn’t trust anybody and wants to have everything under his own personal control,” she concluded.
“Sounds charming,” Lasgol said dryly.
“You’re not having another of your hunches about him planning something against us?”
Lasgol smiled. “No, I don’t have any hunches. For now.”
Nilsa snorted, loudly enough for him to hear. “Thank goodness for that!”
“I’ll let you know when I have one,” he said with a smile.
